Flushing-valve for closet-tanks.



F. W. ROBERTSHAW.

FLUSHING VALVE FOR CLOSET TANKS.

APPLICATION HLED APR-18,1911.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

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F. W. ROBERTSHAW.

, FLUSHING VALVE FOB CLOSET TANKS.

APPLICATlON FILED APR, 18, 917- 1,292,518.

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FREDERICK W. ROBERTSHAW, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUSHIN'G- VALVE FOR CLOSET-TANKS.

Application filed April 18, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. Ron- ERTSHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a. new and useful Flushing-Valve for Closet-Tanks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, partly broken away, illustrating my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation, and partly in vertical section.

Fig. a is an elevation of a part of the device looking at the opposite side from Fig. 3 and Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional detail views.

My invention has relation to flushing.

valves for closet tanks, and is designed to provide a simple and efficient valve apparatus of this character which can be manufactured at a relatively low cost and which will be effective in service.

A more particular object of my invention is to provide a device of this character in which the parts are so arranged that the controlling float rests upon the surface of the water in the tank, instead of being submerged therein. Heretofore in all float con trolled devices of this character with which I am familiar, it has been necessary to set the float at such a low level in the tank that it is entirely submerged when the tank is filled. It has been found that submerged floats, no matter how carefully they may be con;- structed, soon become water-logged in use, and fail to operate properly. My inventlon provides an arrangement of such character that the parts may be set at any desired level and at the same time hold the valve open sufficiently long to empty the tank.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved trip device for holding the valve open and for releasing it when the tank is emptied.

-A still further object is to improve the construction and character of the valve itself whereby a close and effective seating is at all times insured, and leakage is prevented.

Other objects of my invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown the preferred form of my invention, and which will now be de- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Serial No. 162,827.

scribed, the numeral 2 indicates a closet tank of any usual or suitable character and which in service is provided with any usual or suitable water inlet valve. This inlet valve forms no part of my present invention, and hence is not illustrated. 3 designates the flush outlet for the tank, which is in the form of a hollow sleeveplug seated in an opening in the bottom of the tank and se cured by the nut 4, or in any other usual manner. The upper portion of this plug has a lateral communication at 5 with the lower end of the usual vertical overflow pipe 6.

The upper end of the plug 3 forms a valve seat which is preferably flared outwardly, as indicated at 7. 8 designates my improved valve, which preferably consists of a flexible disk of rubber seated against a flange 9 on the lower section 10 of the valve stem, the flange 9 being of considerably less diameter than that of the disk. In order to avoid any possibility of this flange working loose, it is preferably either rigidly secured to the stem'member 10, or cast integrally therewith, as shown in Fig. 3. 11 is a washer which is seated against the central upper face of the valve disk, this washer being also of less diameter than the disk. It is clamped in place by a nut 12, which is threaded onto the upwardly projecting threaded portion 13 of the stem member 10. This projection is made hollow and is interiorly threaded to receive the lower threaded end portion of the stem member 1 1-. The stem member 1 1 has a threaded engagement at its upper end with the internally threaded sleeve portion of a head member 15. This head member has a squared portion 16 which slides in a guide opening of a late-rally projecting arm 17, which is adjustably secured to the overflow pipe 6 in any suitable manner, as by a set screw 18. The lower stem member 10 has a sliding guide hearing at 19 in the plug 8. 20 is a nut on the threaded upper portion of the stem member 14 and which is adapted to screw upwardly against the lower end of the head 15. Preferably the socket in the sleeve portion of said member is provided with a lateral opening 21. at its upper portion so as to permit the escape of any dirt, etc., from the interior thereof.

22 designates a float which is secured at the end portion of a float arm 23. This float arm is secured at its inner end in a projection 2'4: of an arm which is pivoted to the arm 17 at the point 26. The arm 25 has at .position shown in 6 its upper end a cam-shaped shoe 27 whoseupper surface is eccentric with respect to the center 26. 28 is a dog which is pivoted at 29 in the bifurcated upper end portion of the head 15. This dog has the depending weighted arm 30 and the projecting point or pawl portion 31, at the opposite side of the pivot 9.9. The dog is normally held in the by the weight 30 resting against tne sleeve portion of the head 15 a stop pin 31 prevents the dog from bein swung outwardly beyond a predetermin d position. 32 designates a lift or pull devi e of any suitable character which is loosely engaged with the st member Li and which by its engagement ,vr h the nut 20 provnles means for raising the stem and valve t the osition shown in Bio; 3

The operation is rollows: The arm 17 is adjusted on the overflow pipe 6 at abouthe desired Water level in the tank, so that non the tankis filled to this normal level the float is resting on the surface portion of the water, as shown in 1. In this manr the float is kept from being submerged, the operating parts of the trip are above t is water level. id'hcn it is def d to t the lift device 32 is actuated, therey raising the valve to a position slightly iove that shown in Fig. 3. As soon as the device 32 is released the valve and s stem drops until the point 31 of the dog 28 comes into engagement with the upper curved surface of the cam shoe 27. This ads the valve open and permits the continued outflow of the water from the tank. As the tank empties, the float gradually falls, the curved surface 27 of the cam shoe riding under the point of the dog 28 until it drops off the right hand end (lookingat Fig. 3) of said shoe. The valve then seats by gravity. The tank then begins to refill and raises the fioat to its normal position.

The eccen ricity of the curved surface 27 of the cam shoe performs two functions. First, overcomes any tendency of the dog t6 stick on said surface, by providing a sharper curvature or inclination of that portion of such surface upon which it rests while the tank is emptying. Second, it results in a lowering movement of the valve and its store while the tank is emptying, so that at the time the valve is released it has a less; distance to drop to its seat.

' It will be noted that the cam surface 27 is sufficiently eiongated so that the tank has time to empty before the valve is released. It is this feature which enables me to place these parts at a sufiicient elevation to kee the float from being submerged. It will be further seen that by reason or the elongation of this cam surface a great variation is possible in the height at which the parts are set in the tank. This gives a Wide range of adjustment, so that the device can be readily adapted to difierent conditions and varying feature of havingthe flexible valve disk of considerably larger diameter than its support and Washer, is an important one. This construction enables the central and rim or seating portions of the valve to flex with re spect to each other. As the valve comes to seat the pressure of the water above the valve, as well as any suction which may exist in the outlet connection 4:, draws the valve closely to its seat, giving it the cupped form shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This movement of the seating portion of the flexible valve disk also gives it a wiping action upon the seating edge of the outlet connection, keeping the latter free from dirt, and

The central stem section 1%, having threaded engagements at its end portions with the sections 10 and 15 can be readily adjusted to various lengths, according to the height at whichthe arm 17 is adjusted on the pipe 6 in any particular case.

The entire device is extremely simple in its construction, character, and mode of operation; and can be manufactured at a relatively low cost, .as very little machine work is required. The device can also be quickly and readily installed in the tank. All the parts are readily accessible and detachable in case repairs are necessary.

T do not desire to limit myself to the particular construction and arrangement of the parts which T have herein shown and described, since it is obvious that various changes may be made in the details of these parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 7

'1. e. flushing valve for closet tanks,comprising a valve proper having an upwardly extending stem, a dog pivoted to said stem above thewater levelof the tank, a support for said dog to holdthe valve inun'seated position, said support having an elongated supportingsurface, and a float for controlling the said support, substantially as described.

'2 A flushing valve for closet tanks, comp'ri ng a valve proper having an upwardly extending stem, a dog pivoted to said stem above the Water level of the tank, asupport for said dog to hold thevalve in unseate'd position, said support having an elongated supporting surface, and a float for controlling the said support, said float having its major portion at all times above the water is 'el of the tank, substantially as described.

A flushing valve for closet tanks comprising a valve proper having an upwardly extending stem, a dog pivoted to said stem,

a support for engagement with the dog to hold the valve in unseated position, said support having an elongated curved supporting surface, and a float controlling the position of said support, substantially as described.

4. A flushing valve arrangement for closet tanks, comprising a valve proper having an upwardly extending stem, a dog pivoted to said stem, a supporting member for engagement with the dog to hold the valve unseated, said dog being arranged to pass upwardly above the said support on the upward movement of the valve stem but to engage the support to hold the valve unseated, and a float operatively connected to the support and acting to move the support out of engagement with the dog as the water level in the tank falls, the support having an elongated supporting surface, substantially as described.

5. A flushing valve arrangement for closet tanks, comprising a. valve having an upwardly projecting stem, a dog pivoted to said stem, an overflow pipe, a support adjustably mounted on said pipe, a float lever pivoted to said support, a shoe connected to said float to be rocked thereby, said shoe having a supporting surface for engagement with the dog when the valve is unseated, the said dog having a nose portion which will ride past the shoe when the valve and stem are raised, but will engage the shoe to hold the valve unseated, the dog also having a depending weight arm, substantially as described.

6. A flushing valve arrangement for closet tanks, comprising a valve having an upwardly projecting stem, a dog pivoted to said stem, an overflow pipe, a support adjustably mounted on said pipe, a float lever pivoted to said support, a shoe connected to said float-lever to be rocked thereby, said shoe having a supporting surface for engagement with the dog when the valve is unseated, said supporting surface being curved and the curve being eccentric with respect to the pivotal center of the float, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FREDERICK V. ROBERTSHAVV;

\Vitnesses R. A. BALonnsoN, H. M. CoRwIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 'of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

